By NAVAIR Reserve Program Public Affairs

PATUXENT RIVER, MD. -- One of the Largest units in the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Reserve Program, Naval Air Systems Command 0196, reached the $30 Million dollar milestone in January for savings realized under the Reclamation in Lieu of Procurement (RILOP) program.

During regularly-scheduled drill weekends, the 70-member Minneapolis reserve unit reclaims T-56 Series II/III jet engines and gear boxes specified by the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) AIRTASK Save List.

The project was initiated in 1997 to return engine parts and subassemblies for re-certification into the Navy supply system, directly reducing the procurement cost associated with supporting operational fleet assets. In January 2005 the cumulative cost benefit surpassed $30 Million.

Established in 1978 as NR Pacific Missile Test Center 0278, NASC 0196 has evolved over the years to become the largest of the Naval Reserve NAVAIR Reserve Program units.

The officers assigned to NASC 0196 are either Aviation Maintenance or Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officers, and provide program management oversight for all aspects of the program. “The development of appropriate metrics has been at the heart of our successful effort," CAPT Labee stated. “We track work effort down to the sub-assembly level, and use this data to streamline and improve the efficiency of the program,” he added.

Annual output has increased steadily as a result of these efforts, with net annualized production growing from $1 Million in 1997 to over $5 Million in reclaimed parts per year.

“We have consistently applied the principles of Lean manufacturing to our production effort since 1997, and the outcome has been dramatic,” said CAPT Labee. “The command commenced T-57 RILOP production before the NAVAIR AIRSpeed program was officially implemented, but our results certainly support the value proposition AIRSpeed represents when uniformly implemented throughout the Naval Aviation Enterprise.”

Rear Adm. Richard J. Wallace, USNR, Director, NAVAIR Reserve Program, recently visited Minneapolis and expressed his enthusiastic support for the RILOP program. “I believe the product delivered by NASC 0196 extremely valuable to the fleet operator and the taxpayer, he said. “Besides the tangible financial benefits associated with this effort, it also provides meaningful training for our aviation-rated enlisted maintenance technicians,” he added.

The NAVAIR Reserve Program (NRP) provides qualified and diverse civilian and military experience in operational support of NAVAIR research and development, engineering, program management, logistics, and industrial capability activities. The 650 Navy Reserve officer and enlisted men and women of the NRP train constantly to respond to evolving NAVAIR missions enabling the organization to harvest tangible cost reductions for fleet recapitalization. The NRP is comprised of 32 units that operate in 14 states.